Midwifery service fees

Many private insurance policies and Medicaid are accepted.

For those who do not have insurance or whose policies will not cover LLB's midwifery services, a substantial cash discount is given. This rate is comparable, many times less expensive, than what a client with private insurance would pay out of pocket for care with an obstetrician and a hospital birth. (See section below)

Scholarship funds (for partial discounts) are sometimes available. These are based upon true need and fund availability for the estimated birth month.

Please contact me if you have any questions or to line up an interview.

Out of Pocket Costs of Hospital Births

VS

Birth Center or Homebirth

When making the comparison of costs to those whose private insurance companies don’t cover Life’s Little Blessings, there are a few things one needs to consider:

Deductibles--Most private insurance companies have both an individual deductible and a family deductible. Due to the rising costs of private health insurance, many policies have recently had their deductibles increase. You will need to consider several things:

How much is my individual deductible? How much of my deductible has already been met for the current year?

You will have a deductible for both yourself AND one for the baby. (baby’s stay and care in the hospital)

Does your pregnancy span into a 2nd calendar year? If you are likely to birth in a different calendar year than when your care started, the mother’s deductible will start over on January 1—leaving you to likely pay for two full deductibles (unless you have already met the current year’s).

Co-insurance Percentages--Most standard insurances pay approximately 20% of allowable charges billed after your individual deductibles are met. This can add up quickly due to the high amount of bills associated with a hospital birth. Things to consider:

Those birthing in the hospital setting will expect to receive bills from various practices/facilities. The various bills associated with the hospital birth include, but are not limited to: the fee of the obstetrician, the fee from the hospital (both the mother’s and baby’s care/stay), standard lab/pathology fees accrued during labor/birth, anesthesiologist bill (if anesthesia used), and pediatrician bills. Each of these bills can vary widely depending on services and tests rendered, but one should expect separate bills for each of these services.

The amount of the above bills combined often amounts to $10,000 or more, even in a low risk vaginal birth.

Examples:

Mother is due in December. Individual deductible $1500. Combined bills for a hospital birth--$10,000.

Regardless of when mom births, deductibles, or co-insurance...Life's Little Blessings offers a substantial cash discount for birth center and homebirth clients that is often less expensive than your out of pocket costs for having a hospital birth.

Where do my midwifery fees go?

Prenatal care, care during labor and birth, as well as postpartum care. Due to longer visits, free childbirth classes, and the fact that I remain with the mother throughout labor, the average amount of face-to-face time I spend with clients is approximately 40+ hours. This compares with the face to face time of seeing an obstetrician which is typically five hours or less.

Assistant fees. Due to safety issues, we always have an assistant lined up to attend each birth.

On call fees for myself and my assistant. In order for me to guarantee that I am with each client, this requires continually being on call 24/7..regardless of family commitments or special occasions that may come up. This sacrifice is made so that you can feel good about having consistent care during your labor and not having to worry about sharing an intimate period of your life with someone you are unfamiliar with.

Home visits (gas expenses as well as extra time). All postpartum care under 2 weeks is given in the mother's home--regardless of how far away she lives. For the homebirthing mother, an additional home visit is given at 36 weeks in preparation of the birth.

Facility expenses (for those birthing at the birth center). These include all medical/birth supplies needed for your birth (appx $100+ for supplies alone) as well as the cost and time of cleaning the birthing suites, pool, and washing all used linens after a mother has birthed. This includes use of the pool and disposable liners (liners are typically $25-30 alone). In addition, I have the expense of paying the monthly payments for the building, all utilities (electric, phone, internet, etc.), maintenance outside, and hired cleaning personnel for inside.

Business licenses and taxes.

Maintaining credentialing for certification/licensure. Continuing education and opportunities to keep all licenses/certifications current.